The Devil and Carson, part 4

by Zee and Windstar

“I
still say we should call the police Mother!” Jonathan lowered his voice at the end and looked around worriedly. The two of them were hiding under the
dinning table from that obviously insane woman that had gone after his
sister. He wasn’t that worried about
Samantha, she was obviously a disappointment to the family, so it wouldn’t be
that horrible if something happened to her. He was worried about saving his own skin though. After all, he was the firstborn son of the
family.

Without
waiting for an answer from his mother and without really caring where his
father was, Jonathan made a break for the phone that was in the hallway near
the front door. Certainly the police
could sort this all out. Actually if he
played his cards right maybe he could be seen as some sort of hero for calling
them!

It
was a quiet noise, barely heard above the storm outside. A tentative wrapping of knuckles on solid
wood.

Jonathan
paused, handheld unit in one hand and ignoring his mother's repeated calls for
him to return to the dining room, he moved to the window next to the door and
peered out. Trying to see who or what
was causing that noise. Maybe the
police were already here?

She
looked skinny and blonde, vapid like any other Paris Hilton wannabe, and her
wet clothes were nearly see through due to the rain.

She
was huddled under the over hang of the massive front door looking scared and
vulnerable.

"Nice.” Jonathan whispered, forgetting the phone in
his hand as he hurried to open the door. Scared and vulnerable looking, exactly how he enjoyed his women, and
young, even better! "Hi.” He flashed his best, big brother trust me,
smile at the young woman. His eyes
taking in the way her wet clothes clung to her body.

"Oh... um, hi. My car... I sort of lost control
a street over and well, I've been trying house after house I need to call
Triple A I think.” She looked at him
her eyes wide and brown, looking very innocent.

Ignoring
the increasingly urgent calls from his mother, Jonathan flashed a wide
comforting smile. "You've come to
the right place. Why don't you just
come in and make your call? I'll make
sure you're kept comfortable. Maybe get
you out of those wet clothes?"

She
giggled, "And here I was worried I'd find some old creepy guy.” She took his arm. "Thank you so much for inviting me in, you really are a
gentleman.” As the doe eyed young girl
crossed the doorway her eyes flashed red with fire.

On
the ceiling unseen by any human eye the wards flashed once in warning and then
burned away.

################################

"I
have to do what?" Emily screeched,
staring at Shaggy from the other side of the circle of salt, holding a lit
candle in each hand. He looked
uncomfortable and pointed defensively at the computer screen. "It says it right here. You have to be naked in the circle to bring
the demon to you and send it back to hell.”

"There
is no way I'm getting naked in front of you two.” The Goth girl was positive of that, even when the kitchen lights
flickered and then went out.

"No,
it says right here...” His laptop went
dark, dying as the power went out. "No, no, nonono.” His eyes
wide he stared at the dead screen. "This can't be happening.

Jahor
frowned. "I don't think this is a
good thing.”

"Umm... wasn't that on battery power?" Emily looked around a little nervously, that
was more than just the power in the house going off.

Shaggy
nodded in the dark, not that anybody could see. "Yeah, the battery should have kicked on.”

The
dark haired woman rolled her eyes, tossing her head to get a stray dreadlock
out of her face. "Fine you two
cowards, go together. I'll stay here
and tell you when the computer comes back on. I'm safe if I'm in the circle of salt right?"

Shaggy
nodded then realized Emily couldn't see him. "Once inside close the circle and then that should keep you safe,
however we never anointed the ground with holy water so I'm not certain.”

“I’ll
be fine; just don’t be gone long ok?”

The
two guys slowly left the kitchen after pausing at the door for a moment trying
to maneuver so they didn't have to be first. Finally Jahor just pushed Shaggy through the door.

###########################

Upstairs,
Carson snarled and bit hard on Samantha's lip drawing a small amount of
blood. She immediately realized what
she had done and drew back. "Ah,
shit Sam. Sorry. There's something wrong....” The lights flickered and went out.

"Owe!" Samantha jerked back, pressing a hand to her
now bleeding lip, and grimacing. They'd
been having a lot of fun and she supposed it was destined not to last,
considering their track record. "What is it? What's
happening?" It was hard to stay
focused considering that she'd managed to get Carson's shirt off and had been
working on the other woman's bra.

In
the dark of Samantha's bedroom, it was silent for a moment the sounds of there
quickened breathing the only noise. Then Carson gave an evil chuckle that was broken off by the sound of the
woman talking to herself. "Stop
it! Stop it.” She struggled with the ropes, red marks and raw flesh developing
under the places where the roped cut against skin. "It’s in the house.” Carson whispered desperately. "Someone invited her in.”

"What?" Alarmed eyes widened then with a curse,
Samantha got off of Carson and started to hurriedly button up her shirt and the
top of her pants. She'd been hoping
that the demon would be kept outside all this time. "Jonathan,” She growled. It had to be her brother, the stupid idiot.

Carson
was so scared, fear pooled in her belly making her shake. In her head a voice whispered and pleaded,
dark and seductive, to remember her promise to always belong with the
demon. That dark part of her wanted
out, to be set loose upon everything, and it would start with Sam, so the
controlled woman could have a vague taste of her pain.

She
shook her head sweat trickled down her temple. "They need to hurry Sam, I don't... I'm such a weak person.”

"You’re
not weak. You’re one of the strongest
people I know, Carson. Who else would
have been capable of dragging our asses through a zombie infested
town?" Samantha was torn between
going downstairs and making sure everyone was going as fast as they could and
staying here with Carson.

"What
are those idiots doing? I swear if
Shaggy's watching porn or something I’m going to kill him.”

Carson
smiled and then laughed. "If he is
watching porn tell me if it has guys or girls, Emily and I have a bet going.”

The
Asian woman came closer, gripping the laughing woman's shoulder until she could meet eyes that were starting to change
color again. "Carson.” She waited until she had her attention "I'm going to go see
what's going on with them, give them a kick in the ass to get them to hurry up. You have to stay here, stay yourself. Do not give in. Got it?" that sounded like an order.

"I
have an overwhelming urge to salute, but I got it,” Carson said, "Now go
play the hero and save me.”

She
trailed a fingertip down the tied up woman's cleavage, grinning at the shiver
she got. "Don't forget this; we're
going to pick this up again later.” This was entirely unfair; they'd been getting to some good parts. Samantha found her anger growing at the
idiots downstairs.

Carson
gave a loud lusty moan for kicks. "Hurry up and kick some ass so we can get to the good parts.” She was okay not being the hero, she didn't
mind flipping roles, she was flexible about that. It was when one played the oak tree and refused to bend in the
wind, and some other metaphorical shit, that they broke. Sure the demon had offered her forever if
she gave her heart, but Sam offered her pleasure, and at heart she was a
hedonist and pleasure would always win out. Unfortunately for the demon, she had given her heart away to Sam the
first time the woman had chewed her out in the library, so she couldn't give
the demon something that wasn't hers to give.

"Don't
go anywhere.” Samantha grinned at her,
grabbing a flashlight from the bedside and closing the door after her, making
sure it was closed before going down the servant’s stairs towards the kitchen.

#####################################

"So
what's your name?" Jonathan leaned
casually against the wall, smiling his best charming smile as he handed the
girl the portable phone. This night was
looking better and better.

"Levantra,”
she said and gave a girlish squeal as the lights flickered and then went out
plunging the house in darkness. "Oh my,” she breathed against the flesh of his neck.

This
was entirely too easy, Jonathan thought, helpfully wrapping his arms around the
frightened teen. "Don't worry;
it's just the storm,” he said, with a trace of cockiness. "I'll get some candles.” There was a thud and another call of his
name from the other room as his mother hit something, probably the edge of the
table. He rolled his eyes. "Don't mind her.”

She
pulled away from him, "How can I ever thank you for helping me out in my
time of need?” Feminine hands trailed
up his chest giving a fair indication of what she had in mind.

His
hands slipped lower, cupping her ass as he showed that he was exactly on the
same page as she was. "Well I have
a few suggestions....”

Her
eyes picked up everything in the dark room, she could see the pulse jump in his
neck as he grew excited, and she simpered and cooed encouraging him on. She shoved him back into a chair nearly
toppling both over. She flicked a
finger and the arms of the chair bowed inwards lock him tightly in place.

"So like my Carson, living your life
solely for the pursuit of pleasure. You
two have a lot in common. You both
enjoy female flesh, although she worships in it and you sully it, you take and
never give. Is it your mother that
causes this deep seated hatred or maybe your sister because you know she's
better than you?”

She
circled the chair.

"Yes,
Jonathon, the mighty failure. So
lacking, that you can only get a girl to spend the night if you've put a little
something extra in her drink.”

"What
the fuck!?" He yelled, tugging on
the chair arms, eyes bulging as he felt them actually move to hold him
prisoner.

"Jonathan? What's wrong?" his mother moved slowly
through the darkened dinning room towards the sound.

She
slid around his chair circling. She
bent down and spoke in his ear her breath smelled of rotted corpse flesh. "You've never actually had a woman,
just a few pity fucks. I'd say your
sister is far better with the ladies, leaving you a distant second. Jonathon the date rapist. Jonathon the cheater, envy eats you up that
those around you look on you with either pity or distain.” The demon circled facing him and fish belly
white, scaly thighs parted and draped over his legs, as she sat on him.

In
a flash of lightning he saw what stood before him and screamed in fear as he
saw her.

His
mother let out a soft gasp from just inside the dinning room, followed by a
thud as the matriarch of the family fainted.

"What
the fuck are you?" Jonathan
yelled, struggling against the chair.

"The
thing you let in. You opened the door
Jonny and invited me in, just like you've been doing your whole life. If you leave the door open evil just invites
itself in.” She laughed and moved
suggestively against him. "What's
wrong don't you want to fuck anymore.”

"AH! Get away from me!" He struggled harder, only succeeding in
toppling over his chair, still screaming.

The
demon laughed, a sound not meant to be heard by human ears and shoved her cold
tongue into his mouth.

###################################

Emily
stood wide-eyed in the darkened kitchen; she had lit a few candles, but had
just made the room seem spookier. She
jumped at some noise and then jumped again as someone screamed.

An
older Asian man came to a stop at the doorway to the kitchen, frowning as he
spotted the woman surrounded by lit candles. "Excuse me, who are you?" He was carrying a shotgun and wore an obviously expensive business
suite, complete with matching tie and spectacles. The Asian man wore his profession of doctor like a sign around
his neck.

"Ahhhhh... oh my god!" Emily jumped in the circle and turned. "Who am I? I'm the
one fighting this demon menace. Who are
you?"

"Demon
menace?" The man frowned,
considering her words. "You must
be one of my daughter's friends.” He
didn't sound too particularly thrilled by that prospect. "You're name isn't Heather is it?"

"Dr. Sakamoto,” he replied, looking relieved that
her name wasn't Heather. He looked
towards the dinning room, where the sound of Jonathan's scream had come from. "The demon is inside the house?"

"I'm
not certain. But we think there's a
good chance it is.” She bit her lip, in
worry. "It could just be the
storm.”

Those
intelligent black eyes swung back towards Emily and the good doctor frowned as
if suddenly remembering something. "Wait, Emily? Is your name
Emily Johnston?"

Emily's
expression became very guarded. "Are you the demon in disguise?"

"Don't
be ridiculous.” He made a motion as if
brushing away that comment, and peered closer at what she was standing next
to. "You're going to try to banish
the demon then.” It wasn't a
question. "Candles, salt... hmmm... you'll need holy water.” He
turned and started to walk back the way he'd come.

This
perked her up. "Yes, we do. Do you have some?" Unthinking she left the circle, she paused
but when he didn't turn into a hideous monster figured she was safe enough.

He
shook his head. "Raising demons
and you don't even carry around holy water, shameful.”

"In
theory I was at a demon raising, but...” She trailed off, concentrating really hard on that night. "I don't remember it.”

"Meddling
with things you don't understand. You're worse than my son.” He
unlocked the door to his office and stepped inside, the room unlike the rest of
the house was lit by a large camping light. "What a disappointment that boy has become.” He went to one of the bookcases and started
to swing it out away from the wall on hidden hinges.

"Whoa,
whoa. Look if you're having family
issues see a therapist, they get paid big bucks to do that sort of thing. Me, I just want your holy water.” She frowned. "That sounded petulant didn't it, but it was true. I hate it when things get ultra weird like
this. Zombies, demons, next thing you
know peace will break out in the Middle East.”

He
gave her a dark look at that, like a teacher scolding a particularly
slow-witted student. "Here.” He pulled out a heavy silver flask that was
inscribed with a cross. "Holy water.” He offered it to her.

She
rolled her eyes but took the flask.

"The
file was right; you do have problems with authority.” He pocketed a few more shells for his shotgun
then shoved the bookcase shut.

"File? What are you some creepy stalker type. Look I have a problem with authority who
hasn't done a dame thing to earn my respect, that's the problem with a lot of
people just because they're older or in positions of power they think they
deserve my respect. Well ha on that.”

"Says
the young lady who is currently being hunted by a demon that she doesn't even
remember raising.” He went around his
desk to fetch a cross from one of the drawers. "It is possible that others have more knowledge of what is going on
than you do, Ms. Johnston.”

"Well
then why aren't they here trying to fix the problem? Oh let me guess they're sitting in meetings debating the best
course of action, wasting tax payer’s money and letting more people die.”

"I'm
here,” he answered dryly, although it was obvious he would rather not be. "Shall we?" He motioned towards the door.

"Yeah,
but it took you long enough to know that something was wrong,” she muttered
then started towards the door.

##################################

Carson
was thrashing in the dark on the bed, the skin on her wrists was raw and
bleeding, but she didn’t care, she wanted lose, wanted out of here. She froze as she heard a floorboard creak
under the weight of a foot.

“Sam?” she asked hopefully.

“Not quite, but somebody who equally
shares your heart.”

“Ah Fuck!” Carson huffed and
started to struggle harder.

“Tsk, tsk, leading a girl on like
that, making her think she’s got a special place in your heart when you’ve
already gone and given it to another.”

The footsteps got closer sounding
ominous in the dark. “Can you hear them
screaming? All your friends.” The
words were whispered into her ear the breath cold and heavy like a
graveyard. And she could hear them, her
friends, crying in misery and pain. “And it’s your fault, you brought me here, lead me right to them. It’s almost as if you wanted me to destroy
them.”

“Shhh, shhhh now. I promised you forever, I would stand by you
forever if you would be mine, but you broke your end of the deal. To bad,” The demon shrugged and leaned
in closer. “It’s more fun when you
bring about your own downfall, but I’m running out of time and I really want
you to suffer for breaking your promise. You’re demon marked now, a black smudge on your soul, that won’t ever
wipe clean. So stay here tied to your
lover’s bed, but she won’t ever come back for you. They’re all going to die and you’ll be trapped here unable to
help.”

A
clawed hand trailed over her face and chest stroking against flesh exposed by
her unbuttoned shirt. “One by one I’ll
snuff out their screams and leave you, alone, in the dark, with silence as your
only companion. You’re biggest fear. Fitting I think.”

“Wait no, comeback, I’ll do anything
you want just let them live,” she begged. “Please.”

The demon paused. “You’re the lucky fool type Carson. You may be weak and amoral but when the
chips are down you have the amazing ability to come through, so no Carson, we
are finished.”

She
frantically pulled at the ties that bound her, trying to get loose as the
footsteps retreated and the door shut.

##################################

Jahor
paused and whispered. "Hey, did
you hear someone shouting?"

Shaggy
hit him on the shoulder. "Stop
that. I'm paranoid enough as it
is. Just shut up and find the
panel.” They were in the basement of
the house and like most basements this one was entirely too spooky to be in
right now.

"Maybe
we should have looked for somebody who lives here and asked where the circuit
breaker panel was.” He suggested as they
slowly made their way down the stairs. "Or brought a flashlight or a candle”

"Did
you really want to meet Samantha's mom or dad? She has to get that bitchy attitude from at least one of them.” A brighter flash of light from the basement
windows and a nearly instantaneous clap of thunder made the young man nearly
jump onto Jahor's back.

"Are
you hitting on me?" Jahor said
with a chuckle and continued down the steps.

Shaggy
hit him again, this time harder in the back. "Shut up! Let's just find
the circuit breaker.” He paused. "I knew I should have brought that
portable generator I was tinkering with yesterday.”

Jay
shuddered, "Only if it’s already blown up at least twice.” Jay ran out of steps and turned right
scanning the shelves for a flashlight or for something that looked circuit
breaker shaped in the flickering dark.

"Hey,
not all of my inventions blow up!" He paused. "It only blew up
once,” he muttered. A can went tumbling
across the basement floor as Shaggy kicked it by accident. They both instinctively froze then relaxed
as nothing happened afterwards. "Clothing with glow sticks sewn into it!" he suddenly
exclaimed, having another idea for an invention.

Jay
rolled his eyes. "Only if you are
one of those little raver kids at those techno dance parties.”

The
Pakistani man grinned in triumph. "Found it.” He opened the
metal lid and slid his hands over the switches, his grin turning into a frown. "That's odd.”

"What?" Shaggy frowned in the dark. "Raver what?" They continued to slowly advance down the
wall until Jahor found the box. “What’s
wrong?”

"The
switches are all on.” Jay whispered, as
panic clawed its way up his throat.

"Shit,”
the younger man whispered. "That's
bad.”

He
shook his head. "Now let’s not be
silly. Could be power is just out in
the neighborhood. That wouldn't
necessarily trip the breakers.” He
fumbled with the door and re-latched it.

"Jay,
do you remember the Zombies? I don't
believe in the easy answer after that.” There was something wrong again, he could tell. "I knew I should have brought the flame
thrower.”

Jay
winced at the mention of the combustible weapon. "I'm certain there won't be any need for a flame
thrower. Besides, doesn’t most of your
Christian mythos around demons say they live in fire and brimstone?"
He turned around in the dark barely seeing the outline of the other man. They both flinched as brighter lightning and
louder thunder sounded again, and the Pakistani man jumped, his elbow hitting a
shelf and causing something to tumble onto the floor. He grinned. It looked
vaguely flashlight shaped. Crouched
down he began to fumble his hands around after the flashlight that was rolling
away.

“Hey! Watch where you’re grabbing there!” Shaggy backed away from the wildly flailing
man, grimacing as he stepped into something a little sticky. “Eww… did you wet yourself?”

Jay
stood up quickly his head connecting solidly with Shaggy's. "Ow!" He howled in pain and
held his head in his hands. "Jeez,
and no, I did not wet myself, it was probably you, you big old geek.” He glared in the direction he thought the
other man was standing.

"What
are you talking about? I'm over here, and I'm certainly not holding your
hand. Nothing against Carson and Emily
but I'm not into same-sex loving thing.” Jahor wasn't certain if the stress of the whole situation was getting to
him but suddenly he was just angry. Angry at Emily and Carson for getting them into this situation, angry at
Shaggy for being unable to make things right the first time, and at himself for
being stupid enough to put himself in this situation. Things like this didn't exist in a normally rational world, and
he desperately wanted his world rational and normal.

There
was a moment of silence as Shaggy considered that and slowly turned his head
towards the sound of Jay’s voice. “You’re over there?” That wasn’t
good, not at all.

"Yes,
I'm over here.” There was a slight tone
of fear in Shaggy's voice that had Jahor back on his hands and knee's looking
for that flashlight.

Making
a sound that was remarkably like a whimper, the younger man reached up and
touched the thing that was holding onto his shoulder. When his fingers felt something that wasn’t at all warm or even
vaguely human feeling he shrieked and lunged away, tumbling over Jay as he
searched for the flashlight.

As
Shaggy scrambled over the top of him mowing him down he decided to fuck the
flashlight, he was out of there, besides he really didn't want to see what made
the other man scream like a little school girl and run. He ran wondering if there was another way
out of the basement. Samantha's folks
looked rich; surely they could afford another entry way in and out of the
basement.

Still
screaming like a girl, Shaggy slammed into a wall, flailed sideways and then
stumbled onto what felt like another set of stairs. “Jay! Over here!” He ran up them, tripping and sliding all the
way.

"What?
Where are you?" He tried to follow the fading sounds of Shaggy's
high-pitched scream.

"Jahor
Vutukury, what are you doing in this place?" came the sharp, heavily
accented sound of his mother's voice.

He
stopped scrambling and stunned, turned towards the voice. "Mother?" She was standing
there holding a flashlight. The light
from it highlighted her face in deep shadows. "What? How?"

"I
am a mother I know when my son's purity is at stake.”

"What?
What are you...?” He blinked his brain
shutting down in her overbearing presences.

"You
hang out with those unclean people, heathens and whores. They fill your mind, dirtying it from proper
thought.” A hand rose up and beckoned
him over.

"They’re
not unclean.” He flinched, thinking of Carson
with her horns and clawed fingers as he slowly walked over to her.

She
hugged him. "Its okay mother's
here and we'll get you clean again.”

He
felt his will weaken in the blistering presence of her, and he started to fold
and bend just like he always did. "I'm not dirty,” he said weakly.

"Shhh,
mother knows best.” She whispered
before she grabbed his head. She was
standing next to a larger industrial sink, which was in the corner next to the
washer and dryer. The sink was over
full, the water flowing over the sides and across the floor.

He
blinked. "What are you...?”

In
a flash his head was under the water, the demon just laughed and pulled him
back out. "Such dirty thoughts in
your head boy need to flush them out so I can eat them. They’re so tasty.”

Jahor
gasped then icy wet coldness surrounded his head again. He's arms wind milled and panic clawed at
his throat, as his fears of water and drowning seemed to come true.

"Jay?" Shaggy turned around halfway up the stairs
to a door that he was pretty sure was going to lead them out of the
basement. The moonlight through the
windows of the door was the only source of light and he hesitated as he
considered going back into that darkness for his friend.

Darkness
was not something the inventor enjoyed. This was the last time he walked around without at least a glow
stick! "Jay?" He started down the steps.

The
demon smiled. So much fear and anger,
simmering in all these people. It was
absolutely delicious. She stopped for a
moment hearing the tentative, scared voice and let go of the man's head. He slumped and fell to the floor. It was also amazing how many different
issues, fears, and hang-ups these people all had that focused on women.

Smiling, the demon ran a hand down her
body changing it from a short, chubby woman of Middle Eastern decent to a
short, skinny, Goth girl with black dyed hair. With a sway in her hips she walked towards the stairs.

“E…
Emily?” Scared eyes widened behind
glasses that already made them look large. Shaggy stumbled backwards on the steps as she suddenly emerged from the
darkness at the base of the stairs. “I... umm... thought you were upstairs?”

"What,
and let you guys have all the fun? Hardly. Plus, I heard you
screaming.” She smiled and moved closer,
into Shaggy's personal space. Gently
she touched his hair and face. "You okay?"

“Yeah.” He answered quickly, blinking and then
trying to peer around her shoulder into the darkness beyond. “Did you see Jay? I think I heard him yelling.”

"No,
didn't see him. He must have gone
upstairs.” She took his hand in
hers. “Why don't we go upstairs and
take a look.” She tugged him back up
the stairs.

“Oh,
okay,” he answered as his brain fried at the touch of her hand. “You sure? You’re acting umm… different,” he stuttered.

"Maybe
it’s the thunder and the lightening, but I'm wondering why I never noticed how
handsome you were before,” she said finally as they made it to the top of the
stairs. She leaned in closer,
"Your glasses make you look very intelligent.” She breathed into his ear. Seeing she had gotten the appropriate responses from the right places
she leaned in even closer kissing him.

#################################

Carson
didn’t feel the blood running down her arm as she frantically tried to work her
arm loose. She really did have nobody
to blame but herself for this whole horrible night. She’d be lucky if anybody survived, and if they did, she’d be
lucky if they ever spoke to her again.

“Psst. Hey.”

“Holy shit!” Carson barked
out. “Whose there?”

“I didn’t even get to say ‘knock,
knock’ yet?”

“What? Look, I really don’t
have time for games. So either help me
or get the fuck away from me, I’m busy.”

“Yeah, you’re always busy. A real exciting life you got, always rushing
in to play the white knight, or psycho stalker ex.”

Carson frowned. The voice seemed kind of familiar.

“Goodness you’re slow.”

Carson frowned.

“Fine, I’m you.”

“What? You can’t be me, I’m
me.”

“We’re not getting into the whole
philosophy of Plato and the fire and the shadow people since you failed
philosophy and only got a C ‘cause you seduced the teacher’s assistant. Wait that was me, but anyways.”

Carson felt a headache coming
on. “A point to this and quickly.”

“You’re a very lucky woman you made
a deal with a devil and lived.”

Carson have a hysterical laugh,
“this isn’t what I would call living.”

“Shush. Let me get to my point. I’m you, well, I’m the darker you. The one who does the things we know we really shouldn’t. When you accepted that deal, she breathed
hellfire into you, giving me more…. Hmmm, not sure they have a term for this, but I became more real. Like a split personality.”

“Ah, fuck, I’ve cracked,” Carson,
sighed.

“Stop whining. You didn’t think you could make a deal with
a devil and just get out of it unscathed. There’s more to it than fancy new clothes and healing of old
wounds. She marked us, were tainted
with hellfire and there will always be a black mark on us. Literally, when the lights come on go look
in the mirror. Right over your heart
will be a black mark, it won’t ever go away.”

“There is no us or we, just me. Split personality implies loony bin, I’m not
going to one of those. Besides why are
you telling me this, I would think you’d want to be, well, in control of the
whole package.”

“Tempting, but you’re missing the
point. Besides there will be times when
I take control anyway, and there won’t be anything you can do about it. She left us here and since I’m you, I have
the same fears and phobia’s about being alone in the dark, so I’m less than
thrilled with little miss demon.”

“So what are we going to do about
it? I’m a little out of the loop right
now.”

“She took a little humanity from you
and gave you a little taste of hell. Burn, baby, burn.”

“What?”

“Disco inferno, time. Burn the ropes like you did with the phone.”

“It can’t be that easy, and I’m a
little afraid of the ramifications of being able to do that is.”

“Chicken.”

“Fuck you.”

“Burn, baby, burn.”

She felt ghostly hands on her chest
and cheek then her skin tingled and the sensation was gone. She looked up in the dark to where the rope
should be holding her hand to the bedpost and imagined it burning. The was a flash of light in the dark, and
Carson grinned until she felt her skin get uncomfortably warm and then she
yelped and pulled frantically until the rope gave way.

#################################

“What
the hell are you doing?” Samantha’s
high-pitched screech cut through the moment like a chainsaw and Shaggy jerked
back from Emily’s welcome arms.

“Umm…
kissing Emily?” Shaggy kept an arm
around the Goth girl, just incase she decided to run.

In
the flickering light of the two candles on the kitchen countertop he could
clearly make out the expression of disgust on the Asian woman’s face. “That’s not Emily.”

The
uber geek blinked and stared at the woman in his arms. "Wha… what do you mean this isn't
Emily? Emily. Tell her it’s you?" His voice took on a pleading
quality as fear began to mountain climb up his spine.

Emily's
serene face, with her overly red ripe lips broke into a snarl and she turned
out of Shaggy's arms and faced the other woman.

"Emily,
I know you're not fond of Sam...antha but...”

"Shut
up you fucking nerd. You think a real
lady would find you attractive. Trust
me; the real Emily isn't pining over your skinny, pasty, white ass,” the demon
said with a growl.

“Hey!” Samantha frowned. “I’m the only one who insults him.” That settled it; the demon was so going down, she was the only
one allowed to put that expression of fear and panic on their faces. “Aren’t you the big demon, scaring a geek
and an uptight morgue attendant in a dark basement,” she sneered. “Please, Ronald McDonald could have done
that.”

The
demon's mouth opened and then shut completely phased by the fact the woman
wasn't shaking in fear. Slowly the
facade of Emily that she wore faded and stretched leaving white scaly flesh and
hell fire filled eyes. Still the woman
didn't even bat an eyelash. Snarling,
the demon tried to feel the source of the Asian woman's greatest fear only to
come up empty. "Impossible!" she roared making Shaggy cry out in fear
and huddle in the nearest corner.

“My
greatest fear already came to pass you stupid bitch.” Samantha smiled as she said it, slowly stepping backwards and
trying to lure the demon away from Shaggy’s side. “Carson went away and then she outted me to my family. I haven’t had time to come up with another
greatest fear in the last half hour.” This had to be one of the stupidest things she’d even done. The former librarian was really hoping that
Shaggy had a plan before the demon got pissed off enough to rip her heart out.

"You're
the one who has the other part of Carson's heart. Poor Carson, you left her all alone in the dark, tied to the
bed. Defenseless.” Her slitted nostrils flared as she felt the
first tendrils of unease come off the woman. She would not let some flesh bag mortal get the best of her. She was a demon; she fed off of fear and
misery. She'd been getting quite full
from the first young man then Carson, the Pakistani, and now the geek in the
corner. But then this buzz kill had to
poke her nose in and popped her bubble of power.

“You’re
just a bottom feeder. Gorging yourself
off the basest emotions you can evoke in those around you. How’s it feel to know that your entire
existence in this world is dictated by the fact that you must live off the
leftovers of human emotions?” It was a
struggle to avoid thinking about what could have happened to Carson and
Samantha knew that if she let herself, she would do more than worry about what
might have happened to the other woman. Instead she slowly took another step backwards.

Shaggy
slowly came back to his senses, blinking owlishly behind his glasses and then
making a gagging sound as he saw what he’d just been kissing. Where was the real Emily? The candles she’d been holding were on the kitchen
countertop but there was no sign of her in the kitchen.

The
demon snarled and started towards Samantha. "I'm going to rip that smug look right off your face and then I'm
going to piss down your neck.” She
howled in anger.

Samantha
walked backwards towards the door hoping to make a break for it. Just as the demon got ready to pounce, the
kitchen door burst open hitting Samantha and smashing her between the door and
the wall as two figures burst in.

"Get
away from my daughter!" a masculine voice shouted then was drowned
out by the firing of a gun.

The
demon's flesh ripped open as the bullets drove into its scaly hide.

Shaggy
yelled in surprise and hit the ground, not at all wanting anything to do with
flying bullets.

Dr. Sakamoto unloaded both barrels of the
antique looking shotgun into the demon, staggering backwards from the
recoil. “The circle young lady, get it
into the circle,” he said to Emily, struggling to reload the shotgun.

The
demon stood up, her flesh smoked and hissed, and greenish-black blood dripped
onto the floor. "No!" she screeched. "I will not go back.” She
lunged forward only to draw back as Emily flicked holy water at it.

Shaggy
scrambled with the candles and the compass, frantically setting them up amidst
the chaos erupting in the kitchen.

The
demon lunged for the stairs down to the basement only to stop short as Jahor
suddenly emerged into the kitchen, dripping wet and praying loudly in his
native tongue: a prayer of protection against evil.

Holy
water hit the white flesh and the demon cried out stepping backwards.

Squirming
out from behind the door, Samantha grabbed the holy water from Emily’s hands
and shoved her towards the circle of salt. “Jay, together!” She splashed
water at the demon. Between his prayers
and the water, they started to herd it towards the Goth woman. Behind her, she was vaguely awareness of her
father unloading the shotgun shells from his gun and reloading it.

Writhing
in agony the demon was slowly forced back into the circle of salt. Shaggy quickly sealed the circle and then
looked hopefully over at Emily. "Start the ceremony Emily.” He told her urgently.

Emily
held the cross and started reading the frantically written ceremony Shaggy had
put together from information from the Internet. "Demon, spawn of the underworld, I command you back to
hell. Your presence is no longer wanted
here and by all things pure I command you....” She paused, she needed the demons name. She floundered.

"Can't
remember dear, too busy trying to get up under some skirt,” the demon chuckled
and stepped forward pushing on the barrier. "Without that I'm afraid you’re sunk and I can last forever, can
you? Eventually you'll run out of bullets, water and voice.” She laughed an evil sound, one not meant to
be heard by human ears. She stepped
forward again and the circle of salt flared briefly and then a clawed hand
reached out of the circle towards Emily.

The
door opened behind Samantha, her father and Emily. Carson stood there bloody and bruised her eyes flashing a cold
gray.

“Carson?” Samantha stared in surprise, not sure how
the other woman could have gotten loose from the bonds that she’d tied. She really hoped it was Carson and not the
possessed puppet standing there. The
gray eyes worried her.

With
a click, Dr. Sakamoto snapped shut the breach of the shotgun and raised it to
his shoulder, aiming at the demon’s hand.

The
demon's eyes widened in pleasure. "I see my little puppet’s back. Be a dear and get the shotgun for me.”

As
Dr. Sakamoto turned in surprise, Carson merely shoved the barrel up and out of
her face. She didn't really even feel
the burn of the muzzle as the shotgun went off. Then she was stepping away from Samantha's dad, her eyes focused
on the demon. "Hi, Levantra, ready
to take a little trip?” She snarled
then with a quick sprint she tackled the demon taking them both into the
circle.

Emily
quickly grasped what was being said. "By all things pure I command you, Levantra, back to the circle of
hell that spawned you.” As the demon's
name was spoken the circle was locked, trapping the demon and Carson inside.

As
soon as the circle was sealed the lights flickered and then came back on,
momentarily blinding everyone.

Unable
to see, Emily fumbled and lost her place.

Carson
grunted as she dodged a blow from the demon and backed up only to stop as her
back cracked against the invisible barrier of the circle. Scaly hands locked around her throat lifting
her up and she was smashed again and again against the barrier.

"Emily,”
she croaked out. "Hurry up
please.” There was a pop from her chest
and she hoped it wasn't a rib.

Samantha
was by her side, steadying the Goth girl and holding up the printed
instructions. “Here.” She pointed at the spot where Emily had been
reading. There was little love lost
between each of them but they were both bound by their love for Carson and
Emily nodded, taking a breath and starting to read again.

“By
all things pure, I revoke that which summoned you here. I undo that which was cast and close the
gate that I helped open.”

Carson
found herself flipped around and a fish belly white arm was locked securely
around her throat. "What, you
can't possibly be afraid of a few words? ‘Sticks and stones may break
bones but names will never hurt me.’ Guess
that adage doesn't hold so true for you.” Carson wheezed out.

"Shut
up. I should have killed you once I
realized you were the fool in this play. Fools survive and bring change, they say that which can't be said, and
everyone loves the fool.” In
frustration the demon shook Carson enjoying the sounds of her gagging.

Carson
cried out in pain as a clawed fist smashed into her back. "That's it, Emily. You got her scared, keep it up.”

“Faster,
Emily, go faster,” Samantha urged. It
was hard to resist the urge to cross into the circle and try to save
Carson. There was nothing they could do
until the demon was gone.

Grimly
the Goth girl kept reading, her eyes focused on the page in front of her,
trying to avoid looking at anything else that was happening around her.

Worriedly,
Shaggy danced back and forth as her father reloaded his shotgun a second
time. Samantha had to reach out and
shove the young man sideways into Jay to keep him from getting too close to the
ring of salt. “Jay, keep him out of
trouble,” she hissed.

Jay
sighed and pulled the uber geek back with him next to the sink. "Calm down,” he whispered.

Carson
couldn't really see anything anymore, only spots that danced all over blocking
her vision. Her right leg gave out and
she vowed that if this situation ever came up again she'd not go into the
circle with the demon. That had been
plain stupid on her part.

As
the words poured from Emily, the demon howled and made one last try at flailing
out of the circle, her claws scrabbling at the invisible wall that kept her
sealed in with Carson. From nowhere
wind erupted, suddenly filling the kitchen. Everything from loose paper to small pots suddenly was flying through
the air as something red and glowing opened in the center of the circle.

With
a scream of hatred and rage the demon latched onto Carson again, even as it was
drawn towards that glowing pit. “I
won’t go alone!” It howled.

“CARSON!” Samantha screamed, lunging for her
girlfriend, ignoring the salt circle that she’d just given Shaggy hell for
getting near.

Carson
gasped for breath as the demon's hold on her shifted and she blinked her eyes a
couple of times clearing them. She was
being dragged backwards and down. A
quick look over her shoulder showed her various things she really had never
wanted to see and would probably give her nightmares for several years.

She
turned back and tried to break free, her body trying to go forward against the
demon's hold. The demon's hold was
forced loose and she cried out in pain as claws sliced her as the demon
frantically tried to grab hold of her. Her left hand stretched out, she reached for Sam.

"No! Don't break the circle!" Shaggy
shouted as he started towards the Asian woman.

“Get
the fuck off me!” Samantha elbowed him
in the head, kicked Jay in the shin, and reached across the circle of salt to
grab onto Carson’s outstretched hand while Emily’s frantically kept up the
chant that was the end of the banishment.

Carson
nearly sobbed as Samantha's hand grabbed hers. "Don't let go,” she pleaded then gave another cry of pain as the
demon grabbed her foot and nearly pulled her off of her feet. Frantically she shook her foot trying to get
it to slip out of the shoe.

Emily
looked around frantic. "That's it
there's nothing left of the banishment chant. Why isn't she gone yet?" She turned shouting at Shaggy.

The
young geek stared at the opening to hell that was now slowly starting to
close. "Samantha broke the
seal. I think if the demon doesn't fall
through before that thing closes were screwed.”

Jahor
grabbed the cross out of Shaggy's hand and determinedly walked over to the
circle of salt. "I want you
gone. You have no purpose here in my
nice organized rational world. I want
you gone!" Over and over he hit the demon's hand using the cross as
a hammer. The fingers smoked and the
flesh split open releasing a foul smell into the air. Then one by one the fingers fell away from Carson's foot.

“Careful.” Dr. Sakamoto cautioned, stepping up next to Jahor and aiming the shotgun
barrel at the demons head. Eyes wide,
Samantha had time to turn away before her father pulled the trigger. Since it wasn’t holding onto Carson anymore
the blast hurled the demon into the pit, which promptly vanished, leaving
behind only a reek of sulfur, and the splattered remnants of black ichor.

Carson lay very still on the floor,
her heart was beating loudly in her chest, and the shotgun blast was still
ringed in her ears. "Did we win?”
she asked her voice rough and scratchy from the abuse it had taken.

“I really hope so.” Samantha knelt down next to her, brushing
hair out of the injured woman’s face.

There was a moment of silence as
they all looked at one another in the now lit kitchen, wearily acknowledging
that they had somehow managed to get involved in and survive another
extraordinary situation.

“That was fun,” Shaggy finally spoke
up, only to get hit by Jay on the shoulder. “What?” he yelped. “It was. We were all together again and I got to get
out of the house and then there was a demon and everything!”

There was a rather familiar sound
outside and through the window they could make out flashing lights and what
looked like an aerial spot light illuminating the back yard.

“That’s the army again isn’t
it?” Emily groaned.

Dr. Sakamoto sighed and nodded. “I
called for help when I realized that thing was in the house.” He suddenly looked worried. “Your mother, I should make sure she is all
right.”

Carson
stiffened. "Are you...” She dropped her voice down to a quiet
whisper. "Are you sure you want to
kiss me in front of your dad?"

Sam
looked up to see her father watching them with a definitely odd look. She smiled hesitantly at him and was
relieved as he smiled faintly back before turning and going in search of her
mother and brother, wherever they had ended up. “Yeah, it’s fine. We’ll
have to have a talk later probably.” She
didn’t really care right now though as she focused on kissing Carson again,
until a stray thought caused her to pull back and frown. “How’d you get out of the ropes?”

Doors
slamming could be heard from the front of the house and people running and
shouting orders.

“Not
again.” Shaggy groaned. Jay, resigned, sat down on a chair and
waited for the inevitable.

Rolling
her eyes, Emily turned away from the two, mumbling something about demon bait
under her breath.

Carson
shrugged. "You were taking to long
to play hero. I got bored.” Sensing that their time together was again
drawing short she said. "I'll tell
you later. I promise, but I'd rather be
kissing you.”

That
sounded like a great idea to Samantha, who gladly returned to kissing the other
woman on the kitchen floor in the remnants of the salt circle, which was
exactly how the Special Forces soldiers found them as they burst in through the
door and windows, yelling for people to get down, and brandishing their
weapons.